Common palm civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) are positively associated with humans and forest degradation with implications for seed dispersal and zoonotic diseases

Habitat loss and degradation can undermine wildlife communities and
ecosystem functioning. However, certain generalist wildlife species like
mesopredators and omnivores can exploit these disturbed habitats,
sometimes leading to population increases (e.g., “mesopredator release” in
degraded areas). Although mesopredator release may cause negative effects
on food webs and zoonotic disease management, some disturbance-tolerant
species may help perpetuate important ecological interactions, such as
seed dispersal. We evaluated the habitat associations of common palm
civets (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), which are widespread generalist
mesopredators in Southeast Asia. Common palm civets are also high-quality
seed dispersers, and potential zoonotic disease hosts. We used published
and new camera trapping data to map their probability of presence across
Southeast Asia and evaluate regional-scale associations between capture
rates and habitat variables such as elevation, ecoregion intactness, and
Human Footprint Index, among others. We also assessed the influence of
habitat variables on their relative abundance at the local scale. At the
regional scale, we found that common palm civets showed significant
positive associations with landscapes characterized by lower ecoregion
intactness, higher Human Footprint Index, and lower elevations. At the
local scale, their relative abundance showed a significant positive
association with higher Human Footprint Index, but only to a certain
point, after which it started decreasing. They also favored lower
elevations at the local scale. These multi-scale results indicate that
common palm civets’ abundance can increase under certain levels of human
disturbances, consistent with the “mesopredator release” hypothesis. This
suggests they may be crucial seed dispersers in degraded forest
landscapes, especially where more sensitive seed dispersers have
disappeared. Our results are also consistent with previous studies
reporting that habitat degradation increases populations of potential
zoonotic disease hosts, and thus risks of transmission to humans.